Amy Toensing
two Stories
Photoworks will host acclaimed National Geographic photographer Amy Toensing for a solo exhibition of work opening April 15 at Glen Echo Park.
Toensing is a photojournalist and filmmaker known for her intimate stories about
the lives of ordinary people.
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Exhibition
April 15 - May 22
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Virtual Artist Talk with Amy Toensing & Philippa Hughes
Wed April 20 at 7pm via Zoom
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Opening Reception
Fri, April 22 at 7pm at Photoworks
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Portfolio Reviews with Amy Toensing & Susan Welchman
Sat, April 23 10am-12pm at Photoworks
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Toensing has been a regular contributor to National Geographic magazine for over two decades. She has photographed cultures around the world including the last cave dwelling tribe of Papua New Guinea, remote Aboriginal Australia, the Maori of New Zealand and the Kingdom of Tonga. She has also covered issues such as food insecurity in the United States, the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and Muslim women living in Western culture. She is currently working on her sixteenth feature story for National Geographic magazine on how conservation projects impact surrounding culture and community. Toensing has also co-directed short documentary films about urban refugee children in Nairobi and the marginalization of widows in Uganda.
Toensing’s work has been exhibited throughout the world and recognized with numerous awards, including two solo exhibits at Visa Pour L’image, Festival of the Photograph in Perpignan France (2012 and 2017). Her work has also appeared in Smithsonian, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Time Magazine, and National Geographic Traveler. One of her Australian outback photographs was chosen as one of National Geographic magazine’s all time, 50 Best Photos. Toensing’s work is currently included in the group exhibit Women of Vision celebrating National Geographic magazine’s female photographers.
Toensing began her professional career in 1994 as a staff photographer at her New Hampshire hometown paper, The Valley News. She then worked for The New York Times Washington D.C. bureau covering the White House and Capitol Hill during the Clinton administration. In 1998, Toensing left D.C. to obtain her Master’s Degree from Ohio University, School of Visual Communication.
In addition to her photojournalism and film work, Toensing teaches photography to kids and young adults in underserved communities, including Burmese refugees in Baltimore, young photojournalist in Islamabad, Pakistan and Syrian refugee children in Jordan. Currently, Toensing is an Assistant Professor of Visual Storytelling at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University
Artist Talk hosted by Philippa Hughes
Wed, April 20 at 7pm via Zoom
Join us for an evening with Philippa Hughes and Amy Toensing! Free registration via Eventbrite.
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Philippa P.B. Hughes is a Social Sculptor and Creative Strategist who designs relational spaces for honest conversations across political, social, and cultural differences. She has produced hundreds of creative activations since 2007 for people who might not normally meet to engage with one another in unconventional and meaningful ways. These relational experiences build social capital, social cohesion, and social discourse. Her practice encompasses a multi-disciplinary approach informed by sociology, psychology, philosophy, political science, history, community organizing, design thinking, creative placemaking, art, and humanities.
Portfolio Reviews with Amy Toensing and Susan Welchman
Sat, April 23 at Photoworks, 10am - 12pm
Toensing and Welchman will offer a limited number of private portfolio review sessions for photographers working on a documentary project.
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Each 20 minute session will be $50.
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Participants must bring prints. 20 is max # of Images.
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Register via Eventbrite.
You will be allotted a time slot between 10am-12pm.
We will reach out to you to confirm this time.
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Susan Welchman is a curator, writer, editor, artist, and photographer. After graduating from Philadelphia College of Art and working as a staff photographer in Philadelphia Daily News for four years, and New York Post for another four, she joined the staff of National Geographic Magazine, where she worked for 35 years as photo editor and senior photo editor. During her career in the magazine she worked with such legendary photographers such as Cary Wolinsky, Pascal Maitre, David Alan Harvey, Mike Yamashita, Amy Toensing, Stephanie Sinclair, Paul Nicklin, George Steinmetz, James Nachtway, Gene Richards, Lynn Johnson, Sarah Leen, David Doubilet, Tom Abercrombie, Loren McIntyre, and many many more She has edited hundreds of stories featured in the magazine, as well as books and exhibitions.